Paint the World
by MegannRosemary
Summary: When Emma fails to pick Henry up from school, he falls under the care of Regina Mills, his Principal. Emma has been arrested for the watches she didn't steal, thanks to Neal. Regina and Henry visit Emma throughout her months in prison and in those moments the two women fall in love. Prompt from OfficialNinja. AU. Swan Queen.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer : I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time. **

**Prompt from OfficialNinja: Regina is principle of Henry's school. During school hours Emma is arrested for the watches she didn't steal, thanks to Neal, who runs away. Mary Margret takes Henry to Regina when Emma doesn't show to pick him up. Gina finds out she's been arrested. Later she somehow becomes foster parent for Emma until she gets out the next year. During that time they visit her in prison so Henry can see Emma. They fall in love in those moments. No magic AU.**

* * *

Paint the World

_- By MegannRosemary_

* * *

Chapter 1

It was her favourite time of day.

Emma sat cross-legged in the T-W section of Children's Fiction, painstakingly taping the bindings with clear tape and re-shelving the aged paperbacks as well as the thicker covered pictures books that usually needed twice the tape.

Belle would come to volunteer at the circulation desk and she was free to take care of her books, for they were her books. All fifteen thousand three hundred and seventy one were hers, painstakingly restored ten years ago from under piles of dust, then catalogued and organized. They were her babies, and she loved to take the time with them.

Of course, a mother shouldn't play favourites, but she certainly did. The three hundred and twelve large rare book collection she housed here were her favourite children, she couldn't deny it. She loved the musky scent, the thick leather of the covers, the pages worn smooth and thin between her fingers from countless readers. Their weight in her hand was more than just the physical weight of the book, it was the weight of the memories the pages had seen in all the years it had been on this earth. Her most prized finds were locked behind glass, kept to the right temperature and moisture levels to preserve them, while others were on display for in-house reading.

Running the library was her job and she enjoyed it immensely, but rare books was her passion, her calling. She loved to hunt down the titles of rare and wonderful books to add to her collection, to barter for the right price and to bring them home.

She was good at it too.

When Neal left her in that trashy motel at seventeen, pregnant and alone, she never guessed that this would become her calling. She'd driven around the States until she was too pregnant to drive anymore and that's when she found herself in Storybrooke. After Henry had been born, she would find herself picking the lock and hiding in the library just to get away from it all. She started cleaning and by the time someone found out it was too late, they had no option but to offer her a job. With no education to speak of it was more than she could hope for, and so eighteen year old Emma Swan ran the library. She got her GED, took a few online courses and found herself in the business of searching for old books.

It was unexpected. It was perfect.

She was so lost in thoughts that she didn't even notice the men surrounding her until one of them gabbed her wrist as she was reaching once again for her tape.

She yelped.

He yanked it behind her back and tugged her to her feet, securing both hands behind her with handcuffs. That's when she saw half a dozen uniformed officers surrounding her and the low bookcases.

"Emma Swan you are under arrest..."

Her mind went numb, her vision blurred, muffled sounds met her ears but she couldn't make anything out. Her safe was open, why was it open? They better not steal the 1889 first edition _The Wrong Box, _it had taken her weeks to track that down.

She was in the back of the police car now, driving out of the city. "Henry" She managed to call out.

"Is that your partner? Where is he?"

She didn't say another word for the rest of the trip.

Later, alone in a stuffy room with a faceless, nameless, detective, she tried again, "Henry?"

"Is that your partner?"

She shook her head.

"Look lady, we got you for the watches already. It will make it a lot easier on us and you if you give up your partner; where is he?

She shook her head again, trying to clear it. "He's my son."

"Your son is your partner."

His face was still a blur, featureless from her shock.

"Henry is my son, he's all alone. I need to talk to him tell him where I am." Her voice cracked with unshed tears. She hadn't felt this helpless in a long time, and never as horrible as she felt now. Unable to help herself was one thing, but unable to take care of her Henry, that was the worst curse imaginable.

"Well,_ I_ need you to tell me where your partner is."

"I don't have a partner."

Was this a dream? She tugged on the handcuffs, hoping the pain would wake her up.

"Bullshit. Try again."

"Can I ask what I did?" This had to be a dream, nothing made sense.

"A hundred thousand dollars of stolen gold watches were found in your safe, tell me you had nothing to do with that." His words were less muffled now, coming across as dull razor blades over her skin.

Colour left her face and she shook, teetered perilously out of her chair, "I let him, I didn't know but I let him."

"Who?" Razor blade man slammed his hands on the table.

"Neal, Neal Cassidy showed up last week. Father to my son, he said he wanted to get to know his boy." Nausea rolled in her stomach, threatened to sill up and out. "He asked to keep something in my safe and I didn't see the harm. He took off last night and I don't know where he went... "

"If you're lying you'll be in a worse position for harbouring a known fugitive."

"I'm not."

"You better hope so."

"My son, please," She pleaded, swallowing past the bile that rose in her throat.

"You'll have to wait until morning."

She was unceremoniously dumped into a cell, not much bigger than the ones in Storybrooke's station.

She felt anxiety welling up, threatening to force the air out of her lungs and the fight out of her heart. With what fight she had left, she directed her thoughts to her son. For Henry, she needed to stay afloat. She began to catalogue all three hundred and twelve of her favourite children; title, author, year, price, an identifying feature, until her exhaustion brought her fitful sleep.

* * *

"Henry, you're still here." It was a inane statement as much as a question. Mary Margaret smoothed her full floral skirt and looked around in the rapidly falling darkness for a yellow Volkswagen.

The young boy sat on the steps just outside the doors, shrugging his shoulders in response, "Yeah, my Ma never showed up."

"Have you tried calling her?"

He held up his simple cell phone, designated for emergencies like these. The screen was blank. Dead. "I called her a bunch of times."

"Let's go use the phone in the office, " She guided him back into the dimly lit school, "Can you think of where she might be?"

"She's not at home or at the library and she's not picking up her cell phone."

The secretary had already gone home so the pike-haired brunette stepped behind the desk to try all three numbers again. "Henry, I'm sorry..." She shook her head when not one of the calls picked up.

"It's ok." He shrugged again, "I guess she's been weird ever since my dad came back to town."

"Do you know his number?"

"Yeah!" He brightened considerably and rattled it off.

Large doe-eyes looked up from the phone just moments later, "I'm sorry, but the line has been disconnected."

Two fat tears ran down his face, "He's totally gone then." He sniffled loudly and angrily wiped away any traces of tears. "Hey do you think I could sleep here tonight? There are bean bag chairs in the kindergarten room. That would be so awesome!"

"I'm afraid not." She paused as if bracing herself and knocked on the door behind her, where the words _Principal Mills_ were engraved on the silver nameplate adorning the dark wood.

"What do you want?" She snapped at Mary Margret from bright red lips. Her eyes immediately softened when she saw Henry, "Oh hello, dear."

His teacher spoke timidly, her voice barely audible over the low music that came from inside the principal's office. "Henry's mother didn't manage to come pick him up today, do you think he could stay with you, just for this evening?"

"Have you tried calling?" She didn't bother to hide her less-than-impressed tone.

"Yes, all his mother's numbers as well as his father."

"Hmmm well," The regal woman glanced at the young student dubiously.

"It's just with the baby and all I'm afraid we have no room." Maura Margret admitted, lifting her hands in apology.

"Oh yes, poor little me with a mansion all to myself, I have more than enough room," She countered acerbically.

"I just know how much you..."

She snapped, "You have no right to act like you know me, not anymore."

"Really..." Henry sniffled again, the excitement leaving him, "It's ok, I can sleep in the kindergarten room if no one wants me."

Regina's mask melted away and she replied with a tight smile, "Oh dear, I'm sorry. I would be delighted to have you stay with me."

"No you don't, you're just saying that because I'm sad, you're mad at Mrs. Blanchard and my Mom is missing."

The dark brunette admittedly didn't have an answer to that statement, "Well then, why don't you come stay with me because neither one of us have a choice."

"Ok."

She gathered her purse and coat before locking up behind her.

"Well good day Mary Margaret," She nodded curtly, "Come along Henry."

The short drive back to the mansion on Mifflin street was quiet, nothing but the hum of the car mother and the click from the blinkers. They paused in the front hall, Regina urging him to take off his shoes and hang his school blazer in the closet.

"Why don't you start on your homework while I make us something to eat?"

"What about my Mom?"

"Oh...yes, of course." Her voice shook, rattled from the disruption in her routine. "I... I'll call the Sherriff Station, they should know something."

"Cool, thanks." He trailed after her to the kitchen, marching up to the fridge, "Got any juice?"

She hummed.

"Never mind, found some." He lifted the jug to his mouth and drank directly from it, before promptly beginning his math problems.

She tried reaching the station several times over the course of the evening, before she put the lasagna in the oven, before and after they ate, in the midst of cleaning up, but the line was always busy.

"Henry there's a guest room across from the bathroom upstairs, why don't you brush your teeth and get yourself ready for bed. I'll try the station again."

He hopped off the stool and ran off through the house like he belonged there.

"No running on the stairs," She called automatically after him, before immediately wishing she could take the words back. It wasn't her place.

It was her home, but no not her place. Not today, not like this.

After five tries she made it through, and soft Irish accent mumbled through the phone. "Mills if this isn't important, then please we're in the middle of something."

"I have Henry...Swan in my care, his mother Emma Swan is missing.

"Oh, hold on just a moment." Muffled voices in the background. "Regina, Emma was arrested this afternoon."

"What?"

"She was in the possession of stolen property."

"Oh my." She licked her lips, biding her time, "Where is she now?"

"They took her up to Bangor, we're here trying to locate her partner Neal Cassidy."

"And what about her son?"

"Look were kinda busy right now, as long as he's with you then I'm sure its fine."

"But..." She thought about the boy, trying so hard to be brave but he was still a child who needed his mother.

"We'll know more eventually ok."

Click. The line went dead.

"Bye."

Tomorrow, tomorrow she would and whip them into shape. it may be a small town but there must be some standards, especially when a child was left to fend for himself.

Henry.

She hurried upstairs to check on her charge, only to finding him sitting up against the pillows, sound asleep.

She tucked him in and turned out the light, pausing naturally to press a kiss to his forehead.

In that peaceful moment under pale blue night, she wished to hear laughter filling her house, to have toys scattered about, a fridge full of leftovers and lovers arms to hold her every night. She remembered her once upon a time hopes and dreams.

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**A/N: This prompt took me by surprise and a half - I read it and all of a sudden I have this full story mapped out in my head. Depending on how much people are interested in a longer, more in depth story, or a couple of chapters that fast-forward to a resolution. I'd love to hear what you all think :) Thanks for reading and thanks officialninja for the prompt! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time.**

**Prompt from TheOfficialNinja. **

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Two

* * *

Regina woke long before her alarm, excitement and trepidation fluttering in her chest. First things first, she would have to tell Henry what had happened to his mother. That was concerning on one hand but on the other, she was just as worried about getting him ready for school. She was the principal, had been for seven years, and before that she had been at teacher for nearly ten. Being around children was her job and yet she felt completely unprepared.

She felt claws inside of her raking her insides raw. In her job she was confident, on the streets she was polite, but change always terrified her, made her feel insignificant and like the failure she was as a child.

She fell back on routine and order to calm her, to orient her in this new reality.

Hoping a shower would steady her nerves, she turned off the alarm before it sounded and tiptoed into her large, well-lit master bath. Letting the steam engulf her and the water rush over her, she tried to picture Henry's mother. They had never spoken as far as she could remember as they rarely moved in the same circles. She tried to place Henry and with him, his mother. Blonde, she was blonde, with wild unruly curls. She was the town librarian, adored by the children and adults alike. Around the third Wednesday of every month the diner was filled with chatter surrounding the rumours of wine and pot at her book club meetings. She couldn't quite picture her face, she didn't know if she was single or married, or where she lived.

It was strange how you could live in a small town for that long and know next to nothing about a person.

She chided herself as she stepped out onto cool tile, wrapping a towel about herself and shivering despite the soft terry-cloth. It was entirely her fault she was a cold hearted bitch, or so everyone told her.

Cold hearted bitch or no, she still had feelings. She longed for someone to see past her fake smile and really say hello. No one ever did, so as she blow-dried her hair and made up her face, she carefully pulled the mask over her features, wearing it like a shield.

It was still early when she was ready and went to the kitchen to make breakfast for her young charge.

Pancakes.

Every kid loved pancakes.

In movies at least, she wouldn't know what it was like to have someone cook her breakfast, most of all pancakes.

She shuffled through a cookbook and carefully began to mix the ingredients together. The batter in the bowl before her bubbled with a pleasantly sweet odour, she hoped when they were cooked they'd taste just as good as they smelled. The book didn't give her much information on how to cook them, but they always looked so simple when they came to you at a restaurant, it shouldn't be so hard.

Not five minutes later, the fire alarm was going off and she was standing on a stool in an attempt to stop the noise.

Henry slid into the kitchen on socked feet, clad only in boxer shorts and his school t-shirt that he'd slept in. "Woah, are you ok?"

"Yes, dear." She managed, finally resetting the alarm. Returning to the stove, she dumped the charred remains of a pancake into the garbage.

"Ew." He wrinkled his nose at the black mess and the acrid smell that filled the kitchen.

She felt her insides curdle, the threat of failure shaking her to her core, "I...I'm sorry Henry I..."

He just nudged her out of the way, added some butter to the pan and poured some of the remaining batter into three perfect circles.

The young brunette pointed with the spatula, "Look you gotta watch for the batter to bubble around the edges and when it bubbles all around..." He yelped, interrupting himself, "Oh look like that one! Then you gotta flip it." A few minutes later he flipped it from the pan and onto the plate, "There, try it."

She carefully cut off a bite and tucked it in her mouth, chewing hoghtfully. "It's perfect Henry!"

"Thanks!" He flipped the other pancakes onto his own plate before finishing off the rest of the batter with four more pancakes. He made himself right at home, marching to the fridge, "You got syrup?"

"No ...I don't have any I'm afraid." She kicked herself again, you were supposed to have that for pancakes.

"It's cool," He shrugged, pulling strawberry jam from the shelf. "I'll use this." He gulped a large glass of juice and polished off his pancakes so fast he practically inhaled them. "Thanks Miss Mills, that was awesome. Your house is so much cooler than the kindergarten room."

Just like that, the ten-year-old reassured her, threw her failure away. "You're welcome Henry."

"So what happened to my Ma?" He asked, kicking the kitchen counter absentmindedly.

"Oh..." In the morning excitement she'd forgotten that detail. She'd forgotten to formulate a response, something that would provide him with all the details without being overly alarming.

"It's ok you can tell me. Is it really bad, did she run away like my Dad?"

She gasped, "No dear nothing like that. It seems she's been arrested and she's in Bangor at the moment."

"Oh ok." He blinked at her. "What was she arrested for?"

"I'm afraid I don't know any more that what I told you. I thought I would go to the Sherriff station this morning, to find out more."

He jumped up, "Can I come?"

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"Please, it's my mom, you'll tell me everything anyways," He challenged her. "Right?"

"Alright. Run and get dressed and we'll go before school."

He ran past, pausing to wrap his arms around her middle, "Thank you."

The clatter and clamour of children's feet echoed through the large house, like it was meant to be.

* * *

Under the watchful eye of a detective she was granted a call.

She couldn't call home, she couldn't be sure Henry was there. Ganny's? Ruby would have taken Henry in if she'd been there. But Ruby was on the other side of the world.

Shit.

Graham.

He'd been there when she was arrested.

She dialed his cell number from memory, digging her nail into the edge of the table while she waited through the rings. "Graham? Oh thank god. Henry? Where is he? Is he ok?"

He sighed heavily into the phone, "He's fine, he's staying with Regina Mills."

"Who the hell is that?" Her mind raced through her mental directory containing the citizens of Storybrooke, "Waaaait, the principal?"

"Yeah, that's her."

They had spoken exactly once before, when Henry began kindergarten at Storybrooke Prep. Regina had proudly taken them on a tour of the small campus, Henry holding onto her hand and chatting her ear off. She'd followed along in ballet flats with holes in the heels, while Regina marched along in shiny black pumps that showcased muscled calves and a gorgeous ass. She hadn't crossed paths with her since, only seen her across a crowd or in the diner. She seemed to keep to herself, so it surprised her that she would be one to take in a child. "Oh wow ok, he's ok?"

"Yeah, he came in this morning to check up on you. He was in pretty good spirits overall, albeit confused."

Then, only then, did she let out the breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding. "What did you tell him?"

"I explained that you were in Bangor, and they were holding you until they figured everything out."

"Ok, oh ok."

"Let me give you Regina's numbers ok, you should contact her."

"Thanks Graham." She scribbled them down under the ever present glare from the detective.

She was declined a second pass at the phone, instead taken to a dim six by six room to be questioned by the local police, the FBI and by some guys in suits from another two or three letter agency that meant nothing to her. She went over the details over and over, through countless acidic cups of coffee that gave her heartburn and that she chased down by plastic tasting water.

Mostly she just really had to pee.

But she sat under the fluorescent light that made her increasingly nauseas, wondering if she needed to dye her roots again and if they could see her first wrinkles, and answered every question.

"Yes, at age seventeen, Neal and I were together. He ran off when I found out I was pregnant."

"No, I hadn't heard from him in over ten years, until he showed up a week ago and asked to see his son. " She paled visibly, "Shit, shit. He must have been watching me or something...how did he know..." She pounded her hands against her forehead, "Ugh, I'm so stupid."

_Sympathy will get you nowhere Miss Swan, simply state the facts. _Faceless, nameless, men in muted dress shirts and snappy suits took turns prodding her for details. They were indistinguishable, one from the other, they were clones.

She took a deep breath, "Ok, he showed up last Tuesday around dinner and asked meet H-Henry."

"Uh, the next day he asked if I would let him stick a black binder into my safe."

"I didn't ask what it was because it was a little black zippered binder and it's not like my safe is super high tech or anything. I have it just in case, to keep stupid teenagers out, even though it's not that they would know a good book from their own ass."

_Miss Swan._

"Only I know the code, I'm the only one who handles the rare books."

"He just left his stuff there, didn't ask about it the rest of the week, didn't even ask for the code either. He was normal I guess, he hung out with Henry they got along well. He tried to take me to dinner to apologize, like spaghetti bolognaise was going to make up for deserting a pregnant teenager."

"He left late Saturday or early Sunday, I don't really know. Just took all his stuff, didn't even tell Henry he was going. Kid was devastated.

"No I don't know where he is. If I did, I'd kill him for hurting my son."

_Pick your words more carefully Miss Swan, your words can be used against you._

"Shit I didn't think."

"I never looked, why would I? He asked me not to, and I wasn't going to argue after he gave me so much money."

"Oh god," She stopped herself, "I didn't even connect the two. He gave me a check for ten thousand dollars and I assumed it was for Henry."

_Thank you._ The clones stood up, collecting their voice recorders and notebooks.

"That's it? " Heartburn rose with her panicked thoughts, shouldn't they ask her something more? She only just realised the implications of what she'd done herself.

_That's it for now._ They filed out one by one.

I need to speak to my son! I need to get out of here!" She slammed against the table, accenting her words.

Not one of them looked back.

She was left alone in the six by six room with her thoughts and fluorescent lights to keep her company.

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhh thank you all so much for the response to this! I'm super excited for a longer story - I literally can't stop writing scenes for this like a million and a half chapters down the line. There's a lot of setting up in these first few chapters. I'm sorry. I'm trying to post them quickly so that we get sq interactions ;) Thanks againnn xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

**Prompt from The OfficialNinja.**

* * *

Three

* * *

It's after school on Thursday that they're driving inland to Bangor. The two impromptu companions had stumbled through the week without too much trouble. Henry was brimming with independence and affection, immediately fitting himself into her life. Nights were harder, when he didn't have his mother to tuck him in and he'd retreat behind a book, sniffling. She felt incredibly small. She'd hole herself up in her study, spending hours on the phone with Kathryn, who was doing her best to help Emma out of the mess.

"Can I sit in the front seat?"Henry bobbed beside her, an infectious smile filling his round face.

"I'm not sure you should..." She fiddled with the car keys, biding her time.

"C'mon my mom lets me. Plus, " He added conspiratorially, "You'll be lone up there all by yourself."

It was a dreary drive in the dark and she conceded, "All right."

Not five minutes past the _ Welcome to Storybrooke _ sign, he blurted, "I'm hungry."

"It's only a two hour drive."

"But I aaaalways have a snack after school," He whined.

Regina grinned and gestured to her purse on the floor between his feet. " I packed some snacks ."

He groaned when he saw what it was, but nevertheless tucked into a baggie of apple slices, happily chattering about the farms they passed and what it was like to have one. "Say do you like horses, there's like a million at that place."

"Yes actually, I used to ride as a girl."

He wrinkled his nose as if imagining her as a child, he shook his head in disbelief "So would you be able to show me?"

"Show you what dear?"

"How to ride!" He squinted through the gathering dusk, "I mean they look a little big and scary but It would be super cool to be a knight you know?"

"I... " She hadn't been on a horse in years, much less been anywhere near the stables. "When everything calms down, we'll plan on it."

"Cool." He was silent a few more minutes, then piped up again, "Hey you wanna play a game?" Without waiting for an answer, he ploughed on, "I'll go first A. Applebees."

When she didn't speak immediately he prodded at the window, leaving a oily fingerprint on the pristine glass. "You're B, so you have find a sign with B on it."

"Of course. Hmmm... Ahh! Bar Harbour, seventy miles."

"Nice!"

Elation overtook her with his excited approval, she smiled and nodded at him to indicate his turn.

"Ok, C...Country Fair, over there!"

* * *

They drove through the quiet streets, quaint houses and gift shops pressed up against the sidewalk. Trees bursting with new green leaves and white fences reassured her that they were stepping into the American dream rather than a Stephen King novel, like she knew the area was known for. They went directly to the station where they had to sign in, including getting their picture taken, which Henry thought was cool. At last they were taken in to a room with couches, a coffee maker and inexpensive art on the walls.

There, there was Emma, dressed in her normal clothes. Regina breathed a sigh of relief, she hopped that it would be less shocking to see her in this place if she still looked like his mother. She was already protective of the young boy, he'd found a place in the ice cold room that was her heart.

"Henry!"She called, delight erasing all signs of worry from her features.

"Ma!"

He went running into her arms and then she was holding him tightly, picking him up and swinging him around. "Henry, oh god Henry are you ok?"

"Ma," He wiggled away from her embrace, "I'm totally fine and Regina is super cool, but can we go home now?"

She glanced up, mouthing _thank you_¸ then back to her son, "Sweetie no I'm sorry, I'm not coming home remember."

"I know, Regina told me,...I just hoped she was wrong."

The blonde shook her head sadly, "Sorry kid, we'll spend as much time as we can together this weekend ok."

"Sure!"

Emma could barely keep her eyes off her son as they sank down on the couch together. She smoothed his hair back, unable to help herself, and he shrugged her off with an eye roll. Some things never changed, no matter how crazy life got, there was comfort in little constants.

"Hey Miss Mills," Emma glanced up with a sincere smile, that went right through Regina's Miss Mills shield. There had only been one person before who'd been able to do that, to really say hello. She felt it to her soul, an magnetic tug in her heart.

"Thank you so much for bringing him up." The blonde gestured to the couch beside them, "Wanna come sit?"

"I..." Confusion and residual panic at a new situation rose the hairs on her arms. She hadn't thought this far. She could leave them go to the motel, but two sets of wide eyes stared at her, fearfulness pleading for her to stay. She was never truly needed like this anymore, she was always ordering people about before melting into the woodwork and hiding in her personal life. "Why don't I see about getting us something to eat?"

"Thank you," Gratefulness that went deeper than the food swam in the depths of Emma's deep green eyes.

She came back to find mother and son exactly as she'd left them, holding on to each other and chatting at a speed she never would have thought possible until four days ago. She left their food on the low coffee table and looked for a place to sit by herself. But they urge her to sit with them, Henry regaling his mother with Regina's pancake mess.

When Henry is finally able to stop talking, it's because he's fallen asleep. Emma covers him with his coat and motions to Regina to follow her. They stand just outside the door, so she can keep an eye on him, but her attention is entirely on the brunette. "I just wanted to thank you for taking care of Henry. I know it was totally crazy and everything for you to get all caught up in this, don't worry I'm trying to find someone to look after him...but...god I'm so stupid..."

"Don't say that."

"I'm so alone." She shook, clutching her arms about herself.

Regina patted her arm with what she hoped was comfort, but she returned her hand to her side just as quickly. She tried again with words, "The people of Storybrooke love you."

Emma shook her head, her hair tumbling out of the messy bun, "They love my books, my library, my pot."

The older woman smirked, "So it is true."

She saw the blonde take a deep breath, her vision focusing once more, the teasing comment had grounded her in some way.

"Sometimes," Emma winked. " But I have very few true friends, I prefer to spend time with Henry or looking for books you know? I've got Ruby and that's about it. She's off with lemurs or something at the moment and I couldn't ask Granny to take him, not when she's already dealing with the diner by herself. And that's it, that's all I've got."

"Any family? "

"No. " Green eyes flashed with silver and she replied sharply, "No family."

"So then what will happen to Henry ?" She'd breached the subject with Kathryn during one of their late night conversations, but she'd been told that only Emma could decide at this point.

"They'll try and find a foster family in Storybrooke and if not, then he'll stay at a home near the state prison. "

"You sound pretty sure that you'll be going away." Kathryn wouldn't divulge the details, again telling to ask Emma.

Emma nodded with resignation, "I'll plead guilty tomorrow to possession of the watches so that I don't have to wait for a trial. What's more, I won't be taking the chance at being pulled into more, or getting charged with something else."

"You're not going to fight for your son? "

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't you try and prove your innocence?" Regina felt sure, that if she was given such a gift as having a son, she'd fight tooth and nail to stay out of prison, not dance right in.

"Look Regina, I could fight for years but I just don't have the money and in the end I could be dumped with a lot more than what I have now. I could lose Henry forever. Kathryn and I discussed this, she and I both agree the best course of action. I'll plead guilty because I am guilty for possession but that's it. I'll get like a year or whatever and then it'll be over. "

"But..."

"No Regina." She snapped, "You don't understand. Neal is part of something big, like really big. That's why they won't even let me out of here because they don't want me talking to him. So I'm here, I'll be going straight to jail and that's fine. I was just a pawn for a single move in his game. I'm already being punished and I don't want to be punished for more shit that I didn't do. So don't tell me I'm not fighting for my son, because this is how I'm fighting. I'm ending this now. Right now."

"I'm sorry." The words sounded hollow and meaningless. What do you say to such an outpouring of emotion and devastating truths.

Then Emma begins to cry, her shoulders slumping as she attempts to hold herself together. A sob wracks her body, then another and another.

At a total loss, Regina fell back on instinct and pulled her into an embrace. Emma's arms are trapped between them, they're still wrapped around herself, but she's relaxing into Regina's arms and crying into her shoulder.

Emma's tears fall silver on her black blazer.

* * *

While they wait for Emma to be done they wander through the downtown streets, limp with exhaustion and dripping with humidity. Lunch is quiet, at a small diner that is reminiscent of home. They turn to the outlet stores to occupy their afternoon, though Henry isn't one for shopping and neither is Regina for that matter. She enjoys clothes, she enjoys nice clothes, but she likes to go into a store, knowing exactly what she wants and she's in and out in less than half an hour. No fuss.

They quickly find themselves in L.L. Bean. watching the fish tank for their entertainment. Henry took a half-hearted picture inside a bubble that gives him a fisheye view of the beautifully coloured fish but then he's sitting with Regina again, staring aimlessly.

"Would you like anything?"She gestured behind them at the racks of jackets and fleece.

"No thanks. Is my ma done yet?"

She checked her phone for what felt like the hundredth time, and shook her head, "I'm sorry Henry, Kathryn said she'd text me when they were finished."

"Ok."

Their attention returned to the fish.

When the phone vibrates in her pocket, it startles them both.

Emma explains the situation to him as best she can, before a uniformed officer offers to take the downtrodden boy on a tour of the station. Regina is left waiting, feeling so out of place, all gangly limps and gap teeth. But she can't leave, she feels like she'd supposed to be here.

Emma finds her later, tapping her on the shoulder, "I go Sunday, I... I'd like to spend tomorrow with Henry. I don't know if maybe you or Kathryn can pick him up or... Oh my god is it alright if he even stays with you, I mean it seems to be working out so far..."

"Emma, I'd like to foster Henry ."

That stops the frantic babbling. "why

"You said it yourself, you have no one else," She ducked her head, "And he reminds me of someone."

"You had a kid?"

"No I suppose he reminds me of myself, my younger self, and of my dreams." She cleared her throat, crossed her legs, and continued in a more business-like fashion. "I thought he might like to stay in school with his friends, that he wouldn't have to go to a home."

The bonded nodded, "Yeah he'd like that and I wouldn't want him out there in that scary stupid world like I was either." She paused, "Can you even do that? Foster him I mean? Like you're not in the system right?"

"I'm not no...but It's Storybrooke, things can move quickly if need be." Gold owed her a favour or two that wouldn't go a miss at a time like this.

"Ok. " She took her hand briefly, "I should ask him though ok?"

"Of course." Regina pulled her hand away, tucking it in her pocket.

"Hey Henry," They found him behind a desk, watching a detective show off his computer.

"Yeah."

"You remember what's going to happen?"

He nodded, without taking his eyes from the screen, "Yeah you're going to jail for ten month and then you'll come home. Just because Neal was mean... I wish he'd never come back. "

"Hey me too kid, but we can't wish away the past. For now, how would you like to live with Miss Mills."

He scowled, only then acknowledging his mother. "Why can't I live at home by myself? I'm old enough. I can cook and put myself to bed, I'll do my homework and brush my teeth twice a day, I promise. "

"You're ten kid, it's against the law."

"No one has to know." He looked at the detective for support, but the balding man shook his head.

"Regina has offered you a place to stay but it's up to you, we can try and find someone else in town or you'll move closer to where I am."

He shrugged, "Regina's cool."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He hopped off the desk and gave a little wave over his shoulder on his way to check out the fingerprint process.

"Wow ok."

They returned to the couches while Emma frantically made plans, "Well Kathryn already has all my paperwork, god it's been a crazy week. You guys are friends right, she'll help you with the process. There's a lot to do in order to be a formal foster parent, they'll dig into everything... I mean are you sure you want to."

"I'm sure. "

"Thank you." Emma took her hand again.

This time Regina didn't pull away.

* * *

The sun was shining that Sunday morning when they were saying their farewells in the now familiar break room at the station.

"I guess this is it then..." Emma handed Henry her red leather jacket, "Keep it safe for me ok?"

He shrugs it on, drowning in its bulk, "I promise"

"I love you Henry."

"I love you too Ma."

"Ten months will fly by," She put all the enthusiasm she could muster into her words.

"I doubt it."

"Just you wait, kiddo. You take care of Regina for me ok? She's never had a kid and I hear she burns pancakes."

A small smile shone through the tears, "I will."

"Bye kid."

"Bye Ma."

They clung to each other, in a fierce final embrace. Over his shoulder Emma gave her a watery smile, "Thank you again Regina, for everything. Let me know if there are any problems with the documents.. .or I guess I'll call you, when I get that all sorted out."

"Of course dear. We'll come visit on the weekend ok?"

"Thanks, I'll look forward to it." She set Henry away from her and gave a little wave. "Ok."

Mother and son burst into tears, faces crumpling identically.

Henry cried all the way home, hunched under his mother's jacket and when they pulled up at the mansion, he ran straight to the guest room. She let him be, coming in only to leave soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on his bedside table. He didn't acknowledge her presence then, but when she came to say goodnight it was gone.

She was principal, highly respected in the community, always paid her taxes on time, maintained her car, she was in control and she liked it that way. But she wasn't needed, she wasn't important, she was completely obsolete. Only with him had she felt like she had a place in this world, and since he'd been gone, she'd drifted away into simply existing. Henry was under her care now, Emma needed her, Henry needed her, they wanted her in their lives. It threw her out of control and while she was terrified of failing, but it was also right, it was the first thing that felt right in years.

* * *

**A/N: I know you hate me as much as I hate myself for the horrible way I messed with the legal system in order to set up the story like I wanted. I'm sorry if it puts you off the story, nooo hard feelings if you're running away. After this chapter however I promise not to touch the legal system again! It's all Swan Queen and Swan-Mills interactions from here on in :) Thanks for reading! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time. **

**Prompt from TheOfficialNinja.**

* * *

Four

* * *

Her first day at the Maine Correctional Centre was like a fucked up first day of school, with all the novelty and none of the excitement.

Emma had always enjoyed school, maybe she'd been a weird kid, but that was the truth. Getting ready for the first day was thrilling because she had a chance to start over. She always hoped that this would be the best year of her life. On that first day there was always a new notebook and a fresh pencil that smelled of cedar and carbon. She'd sharpen it and sharpen it until the point was perfect, not too sharp to puncture the pages, but not too dull that her words were too blurry and don't look serious enough.

The school day is an escape from the handfuls of families she churns through. The book she hides behind her desk is an escape from it all. The school days couldn't be long enough, she was safe, warm and content.

The prison's version of a secretary, she's not sure what they're called, asks her to strip instead of asking for her name. She gives her a soft grey uniform instead of giving her a caramel from her desk. She shows her who her counsellor is, a cross between a homeroom teacher and a guidance counsellor. She takes her to her unit, her homeroom, and shows her to her bunk. Her bunk is her home for the next ten months like her desk at school is her home for months at a time. Instead of carving small initials in the bottom left hand corner like she always does at a new desk, she makes her bed with careful instructions from her classmates.

Prisonmates?

The lunch bell rings.

That's the same.

She stands in line without saying a word and eats her food alone.

Definitely the same.

The next day a classmate mumbled the weekly schedule to her, adding warnings in appropriate places. Monday to Friday she'd been assigned to the library, thank god.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

The books might have footprints and suspicious stains on them, but to feel their weight in her hands is like coming home. She shelved the books in near silence the entire day. There are a few other girls working in there, haphazardly putting books back on the shelf, and so she follows along and puts them in the right places. She finds old friends on those shelves, running her hand over their spine in greeting. She sees some new friends as well, they make a date for Sunday morning over coffee.

Three hundred monotonous days, keeping to herself, escaping in books, then she could go home to Henry. Unlike school, there was an end in sight, there was a promise of a happy ending.

* * *

Regina was up before her alarm again, the cheerful sun coming in the window giving her pause as she remembers the emotional ride the past few days had been. Hurriedly she tiptoed down the hall and pushes open the guest room door, wincing when the hinges squeak. The boy is curled on his side, face smooth in sleep, looking serene and peaceful for the first time in days.

She eased the door shut again and went to grab her phone to send a quick e-mail to her vice-principal, letting him know he was in charge for the day. Sydney Glass was a weak snivelling snake of a man who would do just about anything for her, with little appreciation for the actual position he would be taking.

Grateful for some downtime herself, she pulled on a robe and settled in the living room with a good cup of coffee and the Storybrooke mirror. She sighs as she takes the first sip, the dark liquid is rich and full bodied. It's so flavourful and so unlike the coffee she'd been drinking in Bangor, that she takes hers second cup black to fully appreciate the warm spicy flavour.

Henry padded downstairs a little after nine, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he plunks down on the couch beside her.

"Good morning dear, how did you sleep?"

"Ok I guess." He glanced puzzled at the mantle clock, "Why didn't you wake me?"

She folded the newspaper in her lap and grins conspiratorially over at him, "I thought perhaps we could play hooky today."

His eyes snapped open, "But you're the principal."

She chuckled softly, "Yes, but since I am the boss, I can play hooky if I want to."

"Awesome."

They made pancakes again together, sprinkling some frozen blueberries into the mix as an extra treat. As she does the dishes later she mentions, "Why don't we get a game we can play?"

"You have games," He asked incredulously, gazing around the stark kitchen.

"I believe there are some in the attic from when I was a girl," She pointed up the stairs, "The attic door is at the end of the hall."

"Cool!" Henry scrambled of the stool and bounded up the stairs. There's a thud at the top when he stumbles and falls but then he's scampering down the hall.

For just a second, Regina looks over to where Daniel would have been sitting, to smile and say _look Daniel, there's a child in the house, imagine if it had been ours. _ But there is no one occupying his spot, no cup of milky coffee and no pen and crossword puzzle sitting on the counter. She turned to put the plates away, bringing her focus back to the present.

A grubby Henry returned moments later with a dusty box in his arms and streaks of dirt across his cheek. "I found monopoly!"

It was one of the few games her mother had allowed as a child, a toy that could teach greed, stealthy transactions and managing money to come out on top.

The two settled on the living room floor in their PJs and begin marching their metal pieces about the board, collecting faded money and rainbow coloured properties.

Their only snag comes when Henry landed himself in jail, he grew quiet and Regina doesn't know quite how to tackle the situation. How she wished that Emma's extensive library held a book on _How to Foster a near Stanger's child while they are in Prison. _

"My Ma is like really in jail now?"

"Yes, she is." She ran her thumbnail along the edge of her park place card, feeling the uncomfortable need to fidget.

"What do you think it's like?"

"I can't say I really know Henry, but it's minimum security which means for the most part your mother is very free."

"Except she'd in jail."

"Well...yes..." Her hand slipped and the card skidded across the carpet.

"I wish she had a get out of jail free card or she could roll doubles."

"Henry..."

"I know," He shrugged and picked up the dice, "It doesn't work that way."

It didn't take long for Regina to render the boy totally bankrupt, her own money piled in a faded rainbow of bills. "All right!" She exclaimed, wagging the final property in the air. Then she sobered, was she allowed to win or was she supposed to let him win? Her cheers trailed off and she glanced at the boy who was frantically lifting the board and checking beneath his knees in search of anything he had left.

He grinned when he looked up and launched himself at her, tiny hands tickling her sides, "You beat me Regina and now you have to pay!"

She was stunned at first but then his infectious giggles and incessant tries soon had her laughing freely. She retaliated after some hesitation poking his side and reaching for his feet.

"Mercy! Marcy!" He panted, "Regina stop!" He clutched his arms about his middle, laughing still as he tried to catch his breath.

She sat back on her heels, flushed and relaxed, feeling like she'd passed a test. Daniels ghost would tell her she was pining for the past, but today she felt like she was working for the future, Emma and Henry's.

That jolted her memory and she quickly began to put the pieces away, "Oh Henry, I thought you might like to get some more of your things from home."

He sighed and flung and arm over his eyes, "Do I have to?"

"Of course not, I just thought you might like some toys or books and some other clothes."

"Are you sure it's ok? It's not stealing? " He sat up then, eyes darting, "I don't want you to go to jail too, then I'd be all alone."

"Oh no dear! It's perfectly alright, I promise." She stood up, "I'm going to get dressed and I'll be right back."

"Ok, I do want to get the sixth Harry Potter book. But Regina do I have to get dressed."

She thought for a moment and then grinned, "Not if you don't want to."

"Yes!" The small brunette pumped his fist in the air and bolted to the hall closet to find his sneakers.

Regina felt a sense of calm wash over her as they entered Emma's tiny apartment, it's impossibly cluttered but with items that could only hold deep memories. Warm colours are used to paint the walls, and in cushions and rugs that have seen better days. It's by no means a castle, but it's an oasis just the same. She can see the blonde, curled up on the couch with a book in her lap, surrounded by vibrance. They pack a few bags with clothes and another with toys and books.

They're just leaving when Henry stops her, "wait"

He runs back and uses a plastic Finding Nemo cup to water a limp plant on the windowsill. "Ok cool."

He has time to complete his homework and put away his things while she makes dinner. Afterwards, they watch a movie together, superheroes of course, and Henry falls asleep on her shoulder.

* * *

The week is full of getting to know each other and their new routine. Henry adapts quickly and is never afraid to point out what he wants. His confidence in their arrangement spills over onto Regina and she eagerly takes on her new role. Navigating the twists and turns isn't easy, the years of battling to perfection make the transition difficult, but she has the greatest cheerleaders from the Swan family. They make her feel like her best is better than perfect.

The next morning she made him lunch, carefully cutting the sandwich along the diagonal and the apple into slices. She makes a mental note to get a lunch box but she uses a paper bag for today.

He arrives back in the kitchen in his uniform and glances over at the bag, "Uh is that for me? Ma usually gives me money?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize." Regina fumbled for her purse.

He peeked in the bag and waved her off, "It's cool I'll take this... Oh man a cookie! Awesome!"

On Wednesday she was halfway home when she realised that she'd forgotten to collect Henry from his afterschool basketball practice. She went rushing back to find him sitting at the steps of the school, reading.

"Oh Hey Regina, shh this part is important."

"Hello Henry."

He barely took his gaze from the page as he walked to the car and slid into the front seat.

Thursday, he waited patiently in silence at the door to her study for who knows how long before she realised he was there. She longed to sink behind her desk and chide herself for negligence, but he bounded right in and plopped his spelling words on her desk.

"Can you quiz me?"

"I... sure."

He tucked his legs up on one of the large upholstered chairs and puts his hands over his eyes, as if it would help him concentrate.

On Friday morning he's watching her make pancakes and kicking his legs against the counter. Instead of grating her nerves, she finds it comforting, a steady reminder that she's doing something good.

"You know you don't have to make pancakes every day."

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she hadn't done anything wrong, even though it felt like a stab. "Oh no?"

"Nope, Ma usually gives me cereal during the week and then we make a big breakfast on the weekends. She likes the extra time to sleep in, you can sleep in too."

He studied her eyes carefully and she knew the dark purple smudges weren't hidden by any amount of makeup.

"I... thank you Henry."

"It's cool you're like super important and stuff."

* * *

Saturday morning he slid into he kitchen, crashing into the panty cupboards, "Regina! Regina, we get to go see my Ma right!"

"We do, we'll drive up after breakfast."

In the car he's too excited to ask about snacks or play a game ,instead he asks every so often, "We're going to see my Ma right?"

"Yes dear."

They pull into the gravel lot in front of a low brick building, with high wire fences spreading out around it. He skipped beside Regina on the way inside, "We get to see my Ma right?"

"Yes in just a few minutes."

"They'll let me take this in right?" Henry had a science test clutched in his hands, and its soggy from the long drive in his grasp.

"I don't know Henry, we'll have to see how it works."

"Ok, but I can still see my Ma right?"

"Of course."

They're at last ushered into what looks like a Storybrooke elementary classroom except for the guards stationed around them.

_You get two hugs, one on the way in and one on the way out. _

Henry doesn't need to be told twice, he ran towards his mother, his skinny arms wrapping around his waist. "Hi Ma I missed you but Regina is totally cool we even played hooky on Monday, that's what she calls skipping, and look I still got an A on my science test."

"Woah woah kid, let's start at the beginning."

He doesn't seam too fazed by the grey uniform she's sporting, content to slide around in the shiny silver seats attached to the table and tell her everything. "So on Monday, I guess she thought I was kinda sad, and I was but it's ok. Well, we didn't go to school. I got to stay in my PJ's the whole day."

"Isn't she the principal?"

"That's what I said, but then she said she's the boss."

"That's true." She winked at the brunette, "So did miss fancy pants stay in her PJ's all day."

Regina blushed, "Until we went outside, yes I did."

As Henry babbled on Emma's gaze stayed on the older woman, her piecing green eyes undressing her and studying her as if she was imagining her in her nightwear.

Henry tugged on his mother's sleeve, "Oh and guess what, I got an A plus on my science test."

"Nice job kid!"

"And guess what Regina is super cool, she's been making me pancakes all week"

"Aw thank you, you don't have to do that," Emma's genuine smile warms the room.

"Yeah I know I told her that too, because she's like a superhero and she probably needs more sleep than like normal people so we got cocco puffs and fruit loops and captain crunch at the supermarket afterschool yesterday."

Emma cleared her throat, "Henry you know better." She glanced at the brunette, "I'm sorry, he knows better."

She'd bitten her tongue, it wasn't her place to suggest less sugary cereals. She wanted his transition into having a mother in prison to be as seamless as possible.

"Yeah but..."

She shook her head, "You know you're only allowed that much sugar on special occasions. I say normal cereal and I'm sure Regina would say the same thing."

Regina nodded.

Emma brushed a curl behind her ear when it fell across her face and tickled her nose. "It's the same thing as when Ruby or Granny babysit you, you follow their rules."

"But Maaaa."

"Sorry kid, Regina is taking care of you, you gotta follow her rules."

"What if her rules are stupid."

"Then you use your words, talk about it with her and with me, but she can still have the final say ok?"

"Fineeee"

"And I wouldn't use the word stupid ok I don't think she'll like it," Emma glanced over at her.

She shook her head.

"Fineeee."

"Apologize to Regina."

He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by Emma's trained look.

"I'm sorry Regina."

"Thank you Henry." She accepted the apology as she wondered if the _mother _look was something you learned or something that you innately were gifted with when you gave birth to a child.

_Time's up. _

"Aright kid , I'll see you next week."

He groaned dramatically, but quickly started towards the door, "Bye Ma"

"Henry, don't I get a hug?

He cocked his head at Regina, "Nope you get two hugs. Remember I gave you one when I came in so now it's Regina's turn." He leaned forward, cupped his hands around his mouth, and in a stage whisper said, "I don't want her to feel left out."

So Regina stepped into the blonde's outstretched arms and time stops as she relaxes for just a moment. She smells like fresh soap and laundry detergent, it's warm and comforting and Regina feel so at home in her arms, even surrounded by beige walls of a prison. Then the guard clears his throat, and the moment is broken.

Emma's eyes are twinkling when they leave, instead of glistening with tears, her cheeks flushed with happiness, instead of red with anger.

They both carry the memory of the hug with them for days.

* * *

**A/N Thanks for reading lovelies! Also uh all my prison knowledge is from orange is the new black sorry I'm not sorry :P **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time. **

**Prompt from TheOfficialNinja**

* * *

Five

* * *

"Hi Regina, I'm bored."

"Emma?" Regina's heart beat quickened noticeably and gripped the mug of tea in her hands, the ceramic almost but not quite burning her skin.

The blonde snorted with laughter, "Yeah, who else would call you from Maine Correctional Centre."

"That would be a long list."

There was a pause at the other end of the line and then an echoing cackle though the line, "Oh god Regina, you made a joke. I didn't think that was your style. "

"I can be quite funny if I choose."

The inmate continued to giggle, leaning against the beige painted concrete wall for support.

"You're bored, so you thought you'd interrupt my work day?" There was no irritation in her voice, in fact a slow smile began to melt across her features.

"Yeup, so what did you guys do last night?"

"Henry did his homework, I made us dinner and then Henry watched half of the basketball game."

"He watched TV on a school night?"

"Oh I'm sorry, is that not ok?" Her fingers tapped nervously against her mug.

"Oh no its cool, I'm just surprised. He lost that privilege in our house because he wouldn't listen when I said it was time to turn it off."

"I'll keep that in mind, but he was very punctual."

The blonde let out a sigh of relief, "I'm glad. You really are pretty cool Regina."

"I'm...Thank you."

"Oh, speaking of cool..." Emma trailed off, her laughter once again getting the better of her.

The principal waited patiently, leaning back in her chair, as a sort of happiness bubbled in her chest. Maybe it was infectious laughter or maybe it was companionable conversation in the middle of an otherwise dull day, but it _was_ warmth, trickling through her veins and filling her with light.

Emma finally gained control of her words, "Ok Regina, you you'll never guess what happened yesterday?"

After a lengthy pause Regina whispered, "What?"

"My roommate like swaggers up to me, I mean she's tiny, like really tiny but she's got swag-"

"Swagger? Like a cowboy?"

That stumps her, "Hmm, I don't know? I guess so? But in like not really...anyways she like walks up to me, thumps me on the back and says _Don't worry Emma, I told everyone that you're off limits._ I was like, off limits for what?"

Regina nodded into the phone, though there was no one to see her.

"So then she said, _you can let your wife know that no one will touch you, we won't mess with a family like that."_

"You're married?" Her heart sank, confusion settling over her, squashing her happiness. Where was the wife, and why wasn't she looking after Henry? What was Regina doing in this mess? She was sent into a whirlwind of panicked thoughts.

"No silly, they think you're my wife. "

"Me?"

"Yes you, they saw you and Henry come visit. A bunch of girls came over later and said we were really cute, they wanted to know how we met and what our first date was like and what you wore to the wedding." She was laughing hysterically again, the phone banging against the wall in her excitement, "It was so sweet and I was trying so hard not to laugh."

"I...I'm sorry."

"No, thank you Regina. I'm glad I don't have to worry about my virtue."

"Well then, I'm honoured."

"You are?"

"I would be very lucky to be married to someone like you."

"Are you crazy, I'm a criminal. Baby, I'm the one that hit the jackpot, you're super cool and super hot," She teased in a sing song voice.

Regina blushed then, her neck to her ears, turning a fiery red and her toes curling in her shoes. "Thank you dear," She replied, for what was the appropriate answer. Nobody, not even Daniel had ever called her _hot_.

Emma was unfazed by it all, ploughing forward, "So anyway, I just thought it was hilarious and I wanted to say thank you wifey for coming to visit, it means a lot."

"You're welcome dear."

"So I'll see you guys this weekend?"

"Of course."

"Cool, talk to you later."

"Bye now."

She leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her now cold tea, and a seed of warmth and happiness blossomed in her belly. Everything was changing in her simple little world, and terrifying and unsettling as it may be, perhaps she would have a friend.

Or a wife.

In her dreary office, she laughed aloud, letting her feelings soar freely.

* * *

It was raining that Saturday when they came to visit, but what would usually made for a dreary impediment to a weekend was in fact rather comforting. The dark clouds beyond the window cast a shadow in the room, softening the harsh fluorescent lights. The pitter patter of rain drops was a calming soundtrack over the bustling sounds of the prison.

Regina shook her head with frustration, "They're finding more and more on your Mr. Neal Cassidy every day. It's a rather large mess."

"He is not my anything." Emma protested.

"Yes of course, I only mean-"

"It's cool," The blonde interrupted, "Does this mean they caught him?"

"No, far from it I'm afraid. It seems like every state is looking for him."

"Even Alaska," Henry piped up.

"Wow." The blonde's already pale skin turned a pasty green.

"It's alright Emma, you're safe now. You can't be pulled into his mess."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

As Emma and Henry began to chat, Regina was finally able to study the woman before her for the first time since they'd met. She was no longer impeded by legal business of legalities or navigating the newness of the prison system as she'd had to the week before. She was able to simply watch the joy and happiness that emanated from every quirk of an eyebrow to the way she leaned against the table to hear her son better.

Even in the dull prison garb, she was a vibrant woman, with big blonde curls and an even bigger smile. She was in fact rather beautiful, the sort of beauty that crept up on you. Her pale skin shone despite the dark circles under her eyes. Intense green eyes glittered beneath dark eyelashes and stood out against her pale complexion and delicate features. Her features were soft and her expression sweet, nothing too distinctive, but she could light up room. She was captivating, her eyes, her voice, her lips, they tugged you in until when you looked at her sweet face you saw only beauty, intense beauty.

When she leaned forward, Regina could see a smattering of freckles and a quarter sized white scar on her chest. She wondered how she'd gotten it, if she'd been a clumsy child or if there was a deeper pain hidden behind her cheerful exterior.

"Regina said we could get paint and stuff on the way home today, so that I can have a real room at her house and it'll feel more like home. Right Regina?"

The brunette shook herself from her reverie, putting her mask into place. "That's right."

"That's nice of you, but you know you don't need to spend money on him, he'll be fine." Emma sent her son a warning look.

"It's a can of paint Miss Swan, don't worry. Money is not a problem for me."

"I don't want your charity." This time, the warning was directed at Regina, a spark of fire dancing in emerald eyes.

"It's not charity," She retorted, insulted that her gesture could be construed as such.

Henry had been glancing back between the two of them like he was watching a tennis match before he decided enough was enough, "It's cool mom, I'm gonna get blue paint because Mary Margaret gave me glow in the dark stars to put on my ceiling and I want it to look like a sky."

Regina bit her lip, fighting to hide her grimace at his teachers name. She couldn't very well drag Henry into her feud and had let him accept the package of stickers. "I want him to feel happy and at home while he's with me." She lowered her voice, "I wouldn't want him to feel unwanted or a bother."

"I understand, I know what it's like." Emma gasped and nodded, turning to watch the raindrops, in search of a distraction from her racing thoughts.

In all honestly she was mostly protesting because she was jealous of her son. She was jealous of a ten year old, because he was going to get his own room. She'd never had her own room as a foster child, not until she'd had Henry had she had her own place and even then she'd been sharing with the kid. She thought herself a horrible person for blaming her son for her lack of privacy and even more for being jealous now.

It was true in past few years she'd been hoping for someone to share her room again, someone on the romantic side. She longed for a soft warm body beside her at night and someone to share her days with. For a brief moment, she imagined the petite brunette curled up beside her and making the pancakes for breakfast, but shook the thought quickly from her mind. The change in boundaries was messing with her.

She had a roommate now of course, but it wasn't exactly what she had in mind. She took her gaze from the window, "Thank you Regina. It's a really nice gesture, I'm sure he'll feel better. "

Turning to her son, she nodded her approval, "That'd be cool kid, take a picture of it when you're done so you can show me?"

"Yeah!"

Emma noticed Regina nibbling on her lip, her brow furrowed and eyes darting. "Hey Henry why don't you go see if you can get us something from the vending machine?"

"Cool," He scampered off, stopping on the way to chat up the guard as only a ten year old could do.

"The weekends are hard on him, I hope this project also helps to keep his mind busy. " Regina admitted, her worrying thoughts spilling out. She murmured, "He doesn't have any friends?"

The blonde shook her head, "Not especially, no. I feel that it's my fault because I don't see anyone except maybe Ruby. I'm happy to stay in on a Friday night with my books."

"It's not your fault dear, I was only curious. He enjoys his books as you do."

"You don't think he's like too lonely?"

"He doesn't appear to be picked on at school and Mary Margaret assured me that he gets along very well with his classmates. If he wanted to join I'm sure he'd have no troubles."

"Hmmm."

"I'm sorry to worry you miss Swan, I merely wanted to make sure I wasn't keeping him from anything."

"You're the best," She reached for her hand, brushing her thumb over the veins visible on her wrist.

_No touching, _ The guard ordered, and they sprang apart.

"Thank you, Regina."

"Thank you for what?" Henry returned , tearing open the bag of chips and offering them to the two women before stuffing a huge handful into his mouth

"Thank you for taking such good care of you."

"Mphm, yeah." He mumbled.

In unison, Regina and Emma chastised, "Don't talk with your mouth full."

He just grinned happily, basking in the glow of the attention, almost like he had two moms.

Regina took her hug at the end of the visit as she had the week before, appreciating the way Emma's hands fell to the small of her back for the few seconds they stood in the embrace. They were warm, her skin tingled beneath her blazer.

Once in the car and outside the gate, Henry piped up, "Hey Regina, remember that my Ma said I also had to take care of you."

Her heart stuck in her throat, "Don't worry Henry, I'm alright on my own."

"No you're not," He shook his head defiantly, "You were lonely, I could tell." He leaned over towards her, grinning manically, "You know what else I can tell?"

"What dear?" She asked, wondering what mischief he was cooking up.

"You're going to be too tired to cook dinner tonight after the looong drive home and we get the paint and stuff," He announced.

"Is that so?" She hid her smile by checking her mirror's with more purpose than what might be necessary.

"Yes, I think I need to take you to Granny's."

She laughed aloud then, he was frighteningly insightful and wonderfully sneaky. "You just want the Saturday meatloaf dinner because Granny makes pudding for dessert."

He shrugged noncommittally and looked out the window.

"Alright, we'll get paint and go to Granny's."

"Yes!" He pumped his fist and punched on the radio.

It was still tuned in to the oldies station they'd listened to on the way up and Henry crooned in his high pitched voice "In the middle of the niiiiight."

She joined in a softer alto, approving heartily of the musical education Emma had given her son. "In the middle of the niiight."

Their cheerful singing chasing away the rain and the heaviness that remained from the visit.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for reading! I'll play with the pacing through Emma's stint in prison, I certainly won't be covering each and every week. Please feel free to let me know any comments or criticisms or anything you want to see :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of One Upon a Time. **

**Prompt from TheOfficialNinja.**

* * *

Six

* * *

Over the next few months, their days fell into a familiar rhythm of school and visits to the correctional centre on the weekends. The days grew warmer, the leaves flourished, bringing colour to brighten the long drives inland.

With every warm day that passed, the sun pushing it's way past the mist, and the smiling boy that slid into the kitchen every morning, a little light began to seep into her life and into her heart. She'd been in the darkness for so long. It had been comfortable, safe and easy to hide in solitude, in mourning. With two bright lights filling her days and pulling her to the surface with every twist and turn, the darkness was no longer the easier route to take. Sometimes she felt much more comfortable to open herself up and let it all in. Sometimes turned into often and always was a seductive option.

Like clockwork Emma called everyday around eleven while Regina was a school, and Regina would settle in with her cup of tea. Emma would always ask what kind she had picked that day before launching into a story about the travesty that was prison food.

Today Emma's breakfast had been cream of wheat, supposedly given to them as a treat. She'd laughed it off, explaining how horrible it really was. Her voice rose with excitement, "But! But, but, but there was brown sugar on the top! I ate the whole spoonful first, it was awesome! There was also grapefruit...with sugar!"

"I see where your loyalty lies," The brunette teased.

"It was heaven," Emma admitted. "I'm curious, what do you even have for breakfast?"

She'd never had this with anyone, getting to know them, all the little things that made them tick. She was brimming with happiness, sharing her day to day with someone, details that no one should care about, but Emma did. A warm fire settled in her stomach, Emma was always vibrating with curiosity over the tiniest details. "Well now have cereal with Henry."

"And before?" The younger woman prodded.

"I'd have coffee."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

Emma hummed with genuine interest, "You drink coffee for breakfast, but you drink tea at eleven."

"That would be correct." She took a careful sip then, the flavour warm vanilla hazelnut flavour bursting on her tongue.

"You're a complicated woman Regina Mills," Her teasing voice dropped lower, warm and intimate.

The older woman paused, unsure of how to take the statement.

Emma chuckled, "I like the challenge."

Regina's heart jumped in her throat, her hands shaking on her mug. "Thank you."

* * *

Click, click, click. Thud, thud, thud, thud. Silence. Click, click, click.

Then it repeated again, and again.

Once you notice a sound, once you notice that it repeats, you can't help but wait for it to strike again. Sometimes it's soothing, sometimes when it's something like the roar of the ocean, the sound is what you hold onto and relaxes you when nothing else can. Other times a noise grates on you, and every nerve, every sense, is tensed and waiting for it to strike again, until it's all you can focus on.

Click, click, click. Thud, thud, thud, thud. Silence. Click, click, click.

She tried to listen to the woosh of the leaves outside her window, but she felt irritation boiling under her skin.

Regina rose from her chair, her legs stiff from sitting for so long. She shook them, feeling the blood begin to flow again and her calves tingle with pins and needles. She wandered through the kitchen and the living room in search of the incessant clicking.

When she reached the hallway, she saw that the marble was scattered with pieces of paper towel. On further inspection, she realized they were attached like a sort of parachute to little LEGO figures.

Her irritation bubbled away into amusement and admiration of Henry's creativity. She glanced around, finally catching sight of his towheaded mop of brown hair and two brown eyes peeking at her over the stair railing.

"Uh hi Regina."

"Henry," She nibbled on her lip to keep from laughing, at the guilty look in his eyes and the scattered parachutes around her.

"I was just..." His small hands gripped the railing. "We don't have steps like this at home and I've been wanting to do this since I got here," He admitted shyly, but excitement shone in his eyes.

She smiled freely, "Did it work as you hoped?"

"Yeah! It did! It's awesome!" He straightened then, guilt forgotten, and ran down the stairs to gather his arms full of small plastic people, "Wanna see? "

"I'd love that." She added seriously, "I only ask you not to run on the stairs."

"I'm sorry." He paused, glancing back at her.

"Thank you." She nodded, accepting the apology, "Now let's see how this works."

Together they trudged up to the top and leaned over the railing. Henry went first, "Ok you can't throw it, because it doesn't work." He giggled, "But it does look funny, when it messes up." Then he pinched the paper towel, letting the LEGO person hang, "You hold it like this, and then just let go."

She picked up one of her own, copying his movements. The little guy twirled spectacularly before the paper towel caught the air and floated the final few feet to the ground.

Henry cheered. "Wow Regina, that was really good for a first run," He coached her in all seriousness.

They let the parachutes fly, collecting them again and again, no running, and sending them off again.

* * *

"Oh my god, 'Gina I'm dying."

"Hello to you to dear," Regina smiled into the phone.

"It's so hot today."

"It is beautiful," She and Henry had happily walked to school with bare arms, Henry skipping ahead like a spring kid.

"So guess what."

"What?" Regina could just imagine the look on her face, her emerald eyes shining.

"I'm getting totally ripped in here with this nice weather and nothing much to do."

"Ripped?"

"You know, muscled."

"Oh. Ohhhh," Regina hummed appreciatively.

"I'll let you see my guns next time you visit."

The older woman gasped in surprise, "Your guns? They let you have those in prison?"

"My biceps, silly goose." Emma snorted.

"Oh I see."

Emma's warm chuckle over the staticy phone was like aged whiskey sliding down her throat warming her from the inside out.

* * *

Henry peeked around the door of her study, he had been doing homework while she buried herself in work. "Hey Regina, can I read you my poem?"

She glanced at the stack of papers and back at the hopeful face, his skinny arms and legs sticking out past the cuffs of his PJ's. She added a note to her long mental list to take him shopping on the weekend. "Alright."

He recited it twice, stumbling over the word extraordinarily both times. His facial expressions and rise and fall of his voice were animated however, something he must have learned from his mother.

She clapped enthusiastically with each recitation, pride filling her heart.

He came and gave her a hug, the paper crinkling in his hands, "Thanks."

"It was wonderful Henry, you should read it to your mother on Saturday."

"Yeah! Cool!"

She ruffled his hair, "Why don't you head on up to bed, I'll come tuck you in in a few minutes."

"It's ok, you're pretty busy," He shook his head, eying the huge stack of papers on either side of her, "Don't stay up too late ok."

Then he scampered off, leaving her momentarily stunned. "Ok."

* * *

"Hello wifey," Emma's voice came warm over the phone, smooth and animated in welcome distinction after the robotic voice of the operator from the prison.

"Hello dear," She replied primly. She blurted, the excitement of hearing the younger woman's voice overwhelming her, "I'm drinking mint ginger tea today."

Emma laughed at the first words out of her mouth, she teased, "Aw I didn't get to ask you."

"I'm sorry, be my guest." She blushed, hiding her nose in the mug.

"What tea are you drinking today?"

"Mint and ginger."

"Sounds yummy," Emma paused, "Well minus the mint...and the ginger."

They laughed together until phone static plagued their ears and they were forced to compose themselves with difficulty.

"Emma? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, you can ask my anything."

"Were you involved with Neal when he was here?"

"With the stolen watches?"

"No..." She hummed, "Relationship wise, was there a chance you would have gotten together with Henry's father, been a family again?"

"Nooo Regina, for one I hate him, and secondly I'm gay." She leaned against the wall, settling in for a longer conversation. "Has Henry been asking? "

"No nothing in particular, I just wanted to know should he ask."

"Yeah no, Neal was the biggest mistake of my life for may many reasons but Henry is the greatest thing to came out of that relationship." She chuckled, "But I guess I should also thank him for helping me realize I was really just into chicks."

"Were you seeing someone?"

"Before I went to jail? No, nope I'm so totally alone."

"I'm sorry," Regina murmured.

"Don't be, it's my choice. I've been more of a one night stand kinda gal because I was always afraid of finding someone, only for it not to work out and Henry would be caught in the middle of it all. Ruby though, you know Ruby?"

Regina hummed in recognition,

"Yeah, so many years ago, ruby and I we... for a couple years we were in a sort of a relationship. But she'd got this thing for guys with messy hair and stubble and I don't have that going on."

"No you certainly don't and I'm very glad," The brunette smiled, picturing the Henry's mother in her mind, all vibrant beauty and sizzling energy.

"How glad?"

Regina could hear the smirk in her voice and she matched the lightness of her tone, "Wouldn't you like to find out."

"In another eight months maybe I will."

There was silence for a few moments, neither sure if they'd crossed a line between harmless flirting and something that meant a little more.

Emma cleared her throat, "So Regina, is there anyone special in your life?"

"No." She replied sharply, the familiar stab of pain piercing her heart, then she took a deep breath and continued softly, "Not for many, many years. Now I suppose you and Henry are the special people in my life."

"That's very sweet Regina, but you don't have..."

"No, it's just me."

"Then I'm really glad we found you Regina."

"Me too." _Me too. _ They had come into her life so completely by accident, and slowly but surely changing her world.

* * *

The school year was wrapping up, and all week Regina had been busy with report cards, checking for completion and bias, and signing each and every one of them. Every evening after dinner, she'd settle herself in her office and begin making her way through the printed reams of paper.

On Monday when she brought home the papers she explained her work, "Henry I hope you understand that I have an important position and I wouldn't like rumours started, or any sort of discussion about report cards. Alright?"

"Oh yeah, don't worry." He replied emphatically, though he struggled to tear his gaze away from the all important folders, "My Ma says not to talk about people behind their backs because it could come back and bite you in the ass."

"Henry! Language!"

He lifted his hands in protest, "It's ok! She used the word because she wanted me to know it was really serious." He looked solemnly over at her, folding his small hands in front of him, "You know when I was little, I used to think that a fish monster with these really sharp pointy teeth would come and bite my butt. I was so scared, it's so silly." He laughed good-naturedly at his smaller self.

She joined him in laughter then but the week wore on her.

By Friday Henry came and flopped down on the carpet, "I'm so bored, this is like how Ma gets at Christmas time."

"She's busy then? " She asked, looking up from the desk.

"Yeah, super busy with finding books for gifts and events and everything."

"I'm sorry Henry."

He looked over at her from upside down, "Can you take a break? Pleaaaaaseee."

"I..."

"We should go get ice cream." He jumped up then, tugging on her sleeve, "It'll help you work, I promise." He continued with a wicked gleam in his eyes, "It helps my Ma."

It was barely eight o'clock and her eyes were already like sandpaper, it was going to be a long night. "Alright, let's go."

"Yes!" He ran off ahead of her, cheering.

He'd been right, the combination of his boundless energy, a walk in the fresh night air and strawberry ice cream had in fact helped.

* * *

Emma's eyes caught hers over Henry's shoulder, noticing the deep purple circles beneath her eyes. "You look tired Regina."

Henry piped up as they settled in their seats, "Yeah, Regina was super busy this week."

"You didn't tell me," Her voice softened with concern.

"It wasn't important."

"Of course it is, is everything ok?" Emma's hands twitched on the table top as if she wished to reach over in comfort.

"It's the end of year, report cards have to be reviewed."

Henry grinned, squirming with excitement, "She has to sign single one! She has absolute powahhhhh," He raised his hands in the air, roaring the final word like a Hollywood villain.

"I promise I took good care..." She stammered.

The Swans shared matching incredulous looks, both endeared by her flustered appearance. Emma caught her gaze once again, "Don't worry about it, I trust you." Then she winked, "How about a prize for your hard work, look."

She pulled back the sleeves of her uniform, flexing the muscles in her arms.

"Woah Ma, you look like the Hulk," He turned to Regina, "Hey can we watch that tonight?"

"Sure Henry." She ruffled his hair before turning to his mother. "Very nice Miss Swan," She replied, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Thanks!" Her eyes lingered a few moments that what might be necessary, lighting on her lips.

Henry began to chat about their week, starting with how he convinced Regina to take him out for ice cream the night before.

Regina was happy to sit by while they chatted, reveling in their happiness and her own.

She was exhausted from the past week, but she could tell the difference between physical and emotional exhaustion. Usually during this time, she'd spend the week entirely closed off and felt the combination of fatigue. For the first time, her exhaustion was purely physical, she judged herself to be in excellent emotional health, thanks to the two Swans.

In truth, she'd never felt more alive. Their energy was catching, coursing through her veins and pushing her out into the world. She was whole and she was happy.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks everyone for reading! I'm actually so excited for this! I keep writing scenes and scenes and scenes, this story can go on forever! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time.**

**Prompt from TheOfficalNinja**

* * *

Seven

* * *

"Henry!" She called up the stairs, then stopped herself, hoping to stay away from the habit of yelling though the house. It reminded her of her own painful childhood, high pitched shrieks that echoed through the house and filled her with a cold dread.

She made her way upstairs and knocked on his door. She called again, softly this time, "Henry?"

"What's up?" He didn't take his nose out of his book.

"I have to head over to the school for a little, will you be alright on your own?"

"Why do you have to go to school? It's summer holidays?"

"It's not holiday's for me yet kiddo, being the big boss means I have more work to do." She ran her nail absentmindedly through a crack in the paint on the doorframe.

"That sucks."

"You know I don't like that word Henry," She murmured, her tone stern.

"Sorry." He glanced up from his book then, apology swimming in his brown eyes.

"You're right though, it's not very much fun." She smiled softly, letting him know there was no lasting damage from his word choices.

"Can I come with you?"

"You don't think you'll be bored?" She asked incredulously, she herself balked at the task.

He hopped off his bed and slipped on his shoes. "Nope. Plus I gotta take care of you, that's the rules. There might be ghosts that come out in the summer," The young boy intoned seriously.

He rambled on as they went downstairs, "During the school year they don't come out because they're more scared of us than we are of them. But I bet in the summer they aren't so scared anymore. They probably have little ghostie school!"

He slipped his hand into hers as they went off down the street, "Maybe I can teach them while you're working."

"You know they don't try to scare people on purpose they really just want a friend," He added. "I'll be their friend so they won't scare you. Are you scared of ghosts Regina?"

How did she answer such a question, she wasn't even sure she believed in them. "Well, I tend to be frightened by them in horror films."

He rolled his eyes, "Those aren't real ghosts, silly."

Of course. She couldn't help but smile.

Regina unlocked the side door of the school while Henry peered at her, studying her every move like he'd never seen a door being unlocked before. They walked hand in hand through the dim halls, the younger brunette skipping along beside her looking this way at that at the empty halls. They smelled like lemon and floor wax, instead of worn sneakers and forgotten lunches.

Henry lounged on the couch in the office while Regina worked, papers spread out all over the floor of her office as well as the main one. She meticulously went through the records, muttering to herself and making little notes as she went along. She twirled a pencil into her short hair and chewed on a pen.

At long last she piled up the papers and filed them away. "Ready Henry?"

"What?" He glanced up from a book he'd found, "Oops, I guess I wasn't very good protection."

"It's alright, I was safe."

"Cool. So is there an attic that we can explore?"

"No, but I do have a better idea," Regina tousled his hair and draped an arm over his shoulder.

They wandered through the school, Henry exclaiming at the naked bulletin boards and the bare walls. "Where are we going?" He piped up.

"You'll see." She smiled secretly and moments later was unlocking the gym.

"Hey cool!" He ran to the middle of the room and twirled round and round, "This is awesome."

From the equipment room she pulled out two square scooters and a large yoga ball.

"Oh my god Regina!" He squealed and ran towards her to take a scooter from her.

They ran races from one end of the gym to the other and chased each other along the colourful lines that marked the floor. The large room echoed with high pitched giggles and roaring laughter. They collected the yoga ball from the sideline and began kicking it back and forth. It quickly turned into an exuberant game of one-on-one scooter soccer.

In his excitement, the score is ten-to-nine, Henry kicked the ball and it sailed in a perfect arc to hit her squarely in the face.

Regina yelped and skidded backwards.

"I'm sorry!" He protested, laughing so hysterically he could barely manoeuvre his scooter.

He got up to come towards her and in that moment she took the opportunity to score in the space behind him. The older brunette cheered, "Goalllll!"

The two took to twirling on their scooters in celebration of their tie game, round and round they went, their hands waving in the air

Regina felt as if the weight of the world had lifted from her shoulders. Happy and free, like the child she never got to be.

Then there was a cry and she watched Henry tip to the side, falling on his hand, squashed between the scooter and the floor. He sat cradling his injury, lower lip trembling and eyes brimming with tears.

Her heart jumped to her throat, her limbs growing numb with panic. "Henry! Henry, are you ok? Can you move it! Is it broken?"

"I don't think so," He sniffled, trying to be brave and hold in the tears.

"Let's get some ice on it," Regina helped him up carefully, pressing a kiss to his temple.

His small chest heaved and shook, a few pitiful sobs sneaking out.

In no time they were at Granny's and a baggie of ice was clutched in his hands. He brushed the tears from his cheeks and looked hopefully up at Regina, "Could I have a popsicle now?"

She hid a laugh behind a polite cough, marveling at the ability for children to bounce back from something that had jarred her so. "Alright. Rudy have any Freezies?"

"Sure," She winked at Henry "The blue one right?"

He nodded eagerly.

"Coming right up."

He clutched it in his injured hand as they walked home, "I'm sad we didn't see any ghosts, maybe we should go there in the night? Do you know if they really like night better? Not just in the movies?"

"I don't..."

He waved her off with his free hand, muttering, "I should get a book on it..."

* * *

Summer descended on Maine in a slow trickle. By the time school had been out for a few weeks, a heat shimmered and the air was heavy with humidity. Both she and Henry enjoyed the freedom of summer, spending countless hours reading in the backyard, at the beach or in the comfortable air conditioned mansion. They'd stock up on books on trips to the library, with Henry ordering Belle about when he noticed a detail that his mother wouldn't like. On one such visits Henry introduced her to the rare books room where she felt an immediate and intimate connection with the blonde, miles away.

Their only other structure was their weekly visits to Emma. On this sticky summer day in the dreadfully dull prison, Regina was a vision, a sight for Emma's sore eyes. She was wearing light beige capris, a delicate white blouse that showed off her own shapely arms and strappy sandals. Her toes, painted a soft coral, made Emma smile.

"Hello dear," Regina murmured, her warm voice dripping with intimacy and affection.

"Hello wifey," Emma returned, but the teasing term of endearment was buried in her own overwhelming feelings.

Henry jolted her from her reverent gaze, tapping her arm, "Ma, Regina is like a super hero you know that?"

"How so?" She sat back in the slippery metal chair knowing she was in for a good story from her imaginative son. She chanced a wink at Regina, hoping she'd catch on.

The brunette retuned a knowing nod and a secret smile melted across full lips. Henry was nothing if not wildly creative, just like his mother.

He started in on his tale, " Ok so during the year Regina wears these suits like every day and she's super pretty and everyone is scared of her. Now, I know what you're thinking...That that's her superhero identity because she scares people and makes them do the right things."

"Do I really scare people?" She interrupted, clearly a little startled.

He nodded, "They're just silly though because they don't know the real you."

Emma winked, "Don't worry, I like a woman in charge."

Regina blushed and studied her perfectly polished nails for chips that weren't there.

"But," He leaned in conspiratorially, "I think that the person who wears suits and scares people is her secret identity. All week she's been wearing jeans and she's like extra awesome and that's when she's her superhero identity!"

Emma nodded slowly, attempting to follow the ten-year-old's logic. "And who's that?"

"I don't have a name yet," He wrinkled his nose, "What do you think?"

The blonde grinned, "Amazing Woman? Beautiful Woman? Perfect Woman?"

"Maaaa," Henry rolled his eyes and waved his hands dramatically.

"What? It's all true!"

Regina blushed a deeper shade of red.

Henry shook his head, "You can't just make her like Wonder Woman but with a slightly different name!"

Emma nodded, biting her lip to keep form smiling. Her voice grew lower in sincerity, "How about Queen? Regina means Queen in Latin."

He pondered that seriously, "That could work, that could work."

Mother and son studied the older woman and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"What's your favourite animal?" Emma asked.

"Horse."

"Oh yeah!" Henry brightened, "Say can we go riding now that school is out?"

"That would work," The brunette nodded shyly, surprised by his enthusiasm. "If that's all right Emma."

"Sure, better you than me. " She shuddered, crinkling her nose most adorably, "Those things scare me, plus they stink." She quickly held up her hands, "No offense." Her eyes dropped hoping for a glance at what she now knew would be muscled thighs, but the table blocked her view.

"None taken."

"How about Red Queen," Henry asked, returning to his superhero mission.

Emma nodded, "Sure, why red?"

"Because she likes red lipstick annnnd red symbolises love and she loves me and she loves you." He gesticulated, "Really she just spits out love all over the place. That's her power."

She was momentarily surprised by his simple honesty but then a mental image of Regina spitting red hearts at people as they walked by flitted into her mind. She giggled uncontrollably, reassuring the equally stunned brunette. "I think it's perfect kid."

"Yes!" He shouted, startling a baby at a table next to them.

Emma turned her attention to the superhero in question, "So wifey what do you think?"

"I...I don't suppose I have much choice in the matter."

The two Swans looked at each other and back at her, replying simultaneously, "Nope."

A genuine smile melted away the worry and shock from her features. "Alright then, I'd be honoured to be the Red Queen."

The two bowed down on the table in quick succession.

"Oh thank you dear Queen for being our Saviour in our time of need," Emma began.

Henry whispered, "We promise to never reveal your secret."

Emma grinned, "Yeah we want you all to ourselves."

Henry hooted, "Because you're awesome!"

* * *

An exuberant and familiar voice answered the phone, "Oh my god, how's my little jailbird?"

"Ruby! Regina told me you were home!" A wolfish grin spread across Emma's face.

"Yeah, I got in the other day." The she sobered, "I'm really sorry that I wasn't here."

"It all worked out, it's ok." She paused seriously, "Hey Ruby, would you be able to look after Henry now that you're back?"

She stammered, "Emma, I'm sorry. I'm not a parent. I'm me."

"No no," She protested, though of course she did wonder if it would be better for Henry to be with Ruby. Perhaps a few months ago she would have considered it so, but now Regina felt so rightly a part of their world, a part of their family. "I just mean like every once and a while to give Regina a break. She's taken us on so wonderfully, I feel horrible for intruding on her life."

"Yeah, of course. No problem-o."

The blonde sighed, "I love you Ruby."

"I know you do," Her friend bubbled.

Emma was momentarily distracted when a group of women surrounded her, arms crossed over their chests and fierce scowls darkening their features. Their leader, Emma's tiny roommate, asked, "Are you cheating on your wife?"

Emma fought back a laugh, "No its my best friend on the phone."

"Hmmm that's all right then." One by one they walked away, glaring over their shoulders just to make sure the message wasn't lost.

On the other end of the line, Ruby was laughing hysterically, slapping her thigh for good measure."Your wife Emma? Do you have something to tell me?"

"They think Regina is my wife," She whispered.

"And?" The brunette yelped.

"And nothing. Regina takes really good care of Henry and she cares a great deal for him, that's all." The affection in her voice wasn't lost over the scratchy telephone.

"You like her," She squealed, "You liiike her."

Emma took a deep breath, damn Ruby and her ability to get just about anything out of her. Even things, she wasn't able to really admit to herself yet. There was attraction yes, and genuine affection, but the love Henry spoke of? How could it be? "I guess so, I mean I don't know if I'm projecting my feelings of thankfulness on her because she's looking after my son. And I'm in here and everything's just upside down..."

Her voice softened from teasing to sincerity, "Give it a chance Emma, you deserve something awesome in your life."

"I've never felt like this about someone. I mean without being able to go on dates, or kiss her or complicate the relationship, we really get to know each other. I feel so close to her and all we've ever done is hugged briefly in a prison visiting room."

"I'm so glad."

"It's ok with you Ruby?"

"Emma it's fine, we were never like that." There was a pregnant pause, then she continued, "Actually I met this guy..."

It was Emma's turn to squeal girlishly, "No way! When you were away?"

The other woman laughed shyly, "Kinda...He was like on the bus back into town with me."

"That's amazing! And he just followed you home like a puppy."

"Well kinda..." She giggled to herself, "Maybe more like a wolf, a really sexy wolf."

"I don't even wanna know," Her friend protested.

"I really like him."

"I'm so happy for you Rubes."

"It's ok Emma?" She asked.

"Yeah sure, it was never anything serious remember," Emma reassured her.

"Yeah." Her attention jumped back quickly, "So Regina Mills. What a catch, my friend. She's got this I'll fuck you business lady attitude going on or sexy professor thing, either way it's smokin' hot. I bet she's a fireball in the sheets."

"Ruby!"

"What I'm in a relationship, I'm not dead or blind. Oooh or that's just her on the outside and in bed she's an adorable little kitten who makes you feel like a Queen, even when she brings you to your knees."

"Ruby! Stop talking like that! I've held her hand and hugged her, under the watchful eye of my ten year old son and a prison guard, that's it."

"Awww she protects her woman." She lowered her voice, "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it though."

Emma blushed and hid in the curtain of her hair, "Shut up. I'll hang up on you."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me."

"Fine, let's talk about Granny. How was she? How's she doing?"

The two friends settled into an easy banter that they'd carried on for years and Emma felt as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders. Her best friend was back and all was right with the world. What's more, sharing her feelings for Regina with someone made them all the more real. She felt the bubbled of excitement grow like a schoolgirl crush, only this felt like so much more. This felt like the beginning of forever.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading this :))) I love to hear what you have to think :)))**


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